Financial Aid Is Out There

DEAR TEACHER PEGGY GISLER AND MARGE EBERTS

March 7, 2006|PEGGY GISLER AND MARGE EBERTS

Dear Teacher: I am a college sophomore planning to transfer from an expensive private school in the fall. I recently decided to pursue my degree in elementary education. Still in need of financial assistance, I am having a hard time finding scholarships specifically for elementary-education majors, although I am convinced they are out there. Do you know of any such scholarships? -- Hopeful Future Teacher

Dear Hopeful: Right now, there is a teacher shortage, so money is being funneled to meet that need. The first step that you must take is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (www.fafsa.ed.gov). It is the driver behind eligibility for federal, state and institutional money. Be sure to get this form in early, as there is a deadline for many aid programs. Besides looking for scholarships, search for grant money, as this form of financial aid does not have to be repaid.

Begin your search for money by finding out if the department of education at the new school you will be attending has any scholarships or grants that you might be eligible for. Next, go to the school's Web site and investigate what scholarships or grants are available. You also should visit your state's Department of Education Web site to investigate if there is any financial aid for college students majoring in elementary education. Finally, go online and use a free scholarship search engine to look for scholarships for elementary-education majors.

Don't rule out paying for your education with some loans. Many states now have loan forgiveness programs for teachers who work in certain subject areas or types of schools.

Dear Teacher: We've hit a brick wall. My seventh-grader needs help with pre-algebra, and I can't help her. Her math grades need to improve so she can take algebra next year. What can be done? -- Math Difficulty

Dear Math: If your daughter has been having problems all year with math, some tutoring might be necessary to get her up to speed. You and your daughter should have a conference right away with her math teacher to determine exactly what kind of help your child needs, as well as what she needs to do. If homework is started in class, the teacher should be able to provide some help to get your child working in the right direction.

Write to Dear Teacher at Box 395, Carmel, IN 46082-0395; or e-mail dearteacher@excite.com.